


Keep her Steady

by dreamlittleyo



Category: Firefly, Supernatural
Genre: Crossover, F/F, Flirting, Kissing, Romance, Schmoop, Wordcount: 100-1.000, Wordcount: 100-2.000, Wordcount: 500-1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-07
Updated: 2011-04-07
Packaged: 2017-10-17 17:16:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/179135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamlittleyo/pseuds/dreamlittleyo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kaylee teaches Jo a thing or two about engines.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	Keep her Steady

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rivers_bend](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rivers_bend/gifts).



"Good," says Kaylee, poking experimentally at the auxiliary power pack Jo just finished coaxing into place. "Now what?"

Jo considers for a moment, trying to remember the schematics Kaylee's been giving her to study. The instructions always look so simple in pictures, but she knows better by now. Flat on her back beneath the engine, everything looks completely different—thanks at least in part to Kaylee's hobby of reconfiguring systems on a whim.

The air is warm and claustrophobic, but Jo doesn't mind. Kaylee is a comfortable presence beside her, pressed against her from shoulder to elbow, and Jo feels a thrill of pride as the answer finally comes to her.

"Now we reconnect the backup systems," she says.

"Good!" says Kaylee, reaching across the cramped space to give Jo's arm a squeeze. "Which do we start with?"

As hard as Jo wracks her brain, she can't come up with the answer this time. "The blue one?" she guesses. Kaylee's laugh more than makes up for Jo's disappointment at not being able to remember, and Kaylee's hands are warm as they guide Jo through the next few steps.

Jo has never asked how Kaylee found her way to Serenity, but she will one day. There's a story there, she can tell. A good one. And she wants to hear it over a drink, if they ever visit a bar and actually get to enjoy a quiet evening there.

But for now she follows Kaylee's lead and focuses on the crisscross of wires snaking around in confusing knots.

"How do you keep it all straight?" Jo asks when they finally scoot out from under the workings, back into the open space of the engine room floor. There's barely enough room for both of them to sit in the narrow aisle between engine and bulkhead, and the arrangement feels strangely intimate.

"Just practice, I guess," says Kaylee. "I been muckin' around in machinery my whole life. It don't hurt to be stubborn, though. And smart. You'll be plenty good at this stuff by the time I'm done with you."

Jo laughs and reaches behind her head to undo her ponytail, shaking her hair loose and running her fingers through it—trying to coax it into some semblance of order. She curses in surprise when her fingers catch an unexpected snarl.

"I must look like an absolute mess," she mutters, smiling in spite of herself and giving up on her hair. When she glances over, Kaylee's eyes are on her—watching her with soft amusement and a hint of something else. The expression gives Jo pause.

"Naw," says Kaylee. "You look good all messy and covered in engine grease."

Jo could swear there's more than just idle observation in the words, and her cheeks suddenly feel warm. There's probably some kind of etiquette she should follow here—some rule to tell her if she's reading things right, and what to do about it. As it is, she feels out of her depth, uncertain and curious, and her smile fades awkwardly away.

The enigmatic expression on Kaylee's face closes off in a blink, replaced by a harmless, open smile. It's like a window of opportunity on its way to slamming shut, and Jo can feel disappointment sticking tight in her chest.

She can't let that window finish closing.

Without the slightest clue what she's doing, Jo shifts closer and reaches out to set her hand over Kaylee's. The floor is rough under her fingertips, and Kaylee's hand is warm beneath her palm. Jo doesn't know quite what this is, but she knows Kaylee's giving her that look again, which means she's on the right track.

She holds her breath when Kaylee's other hand reaches for her, fingers ghosting along her cheek, and then Kaylee cracks a smile that's all affection and heat.

"You've got engine grease on your chin," Kaylee says, soft and teasing, already rubbing with her thumb. That won't do any good—won't get rid of the smudge—but Jo smiles.

"Thanks," she says, and leans in just a little. Just enough to carry the invitation, and her pulse picks up as Kaylee shifts closer, stops rubbing at the smudge on her chin and cups her cheek instead—as Kaylee closes the miniscule distance between them and presses her lips to Jo's.

It's a short kiss, soft and easy, and it leaves Jo's head spinning with possibilities. She realizes only afterwards that her eyes are closed, and when she opens them she finds Kaylee watching her with unapologetic amusement.

"Come on," says Kaylee, standing and tugging Jo to her feet. "We're late for dinner."

"Oh," Jo says dumbly, and follows her to the door.


End file.
